Artificial Sensibilities
by Elevenmiles
Summary: Their paths were meant to intertwine but not fated to stay. The other half thought it was a new beginning while the other half knew it was all pretend. Both were living different lives and were walking on different roads but can they make a miracle and still meet halfway? [GoM x OCs]
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A dart flew past across a dark, spacious room.

Sitting behind a desk, a man in a black suit was smirking maniacally. The light coming from an open laptop's screen revealed the right side of his face, covered in a black mask. Down to his neck, a hint of burn scars can be seen. He raised his large hands, adorned with gold and stoned rings, at the back of his head as he tilted himself backwards in amusement.

'_Another toy to play with. Another rat to corner. Another light to become a shadow.' _The scarred man thought to himself as a loud knock was heard on the door.

The man motioned for the newcomer to enter, his dark eyes not leaving the target board in front of him. A tall, blonde man came in, carrying folders of different volumes.

"I see another lucky guy is chosen, huh? Do you want me to contact _them _right away, Sir?"

"Wait; let me see this person's file first. This new target board had me intrigued."

"Why so?"

"I don't recognize any of them. Are you sure these people are of a national caliber?"

"Yes, Sir. They are just high school students but all of them are carefully picked from the strongest teams of the latest Nationals Tournament. It's only a matter of time before they are drafted for the national team."

"Oh…? High school students? Then that makes it more interesting to play with them. Go and give the job to Mamba."

"Consider it done, sir. I'll be taking my leave." The blonde man left a blue folder before turning around and heading for the door.

* * *

Outside the room, the blonde man was waiting for another person to pick up his call.

"It's me."

"Oh ho! Another job for me, it seems." The person on the other line said.

"Yes. Meet me at the usual place this evening to discuss the arrangements."

The person called Mamba agreed and hung up the call. He turned to his two companions and snickered.

"New job boys. The only question now is how to claw out the girls from their hiding place."

* * *

Once alone inside, the masked man lit a cigarette and opened the folder; his smirk growing wider as he read further; the glint in his eyes becoming more dangerous.

"Generation of Miracles, huh? How interesting. I expect you to play with me well, Aomine Daiki."


	2. Chapter 1: One Team

A group of rainbow heads was seated in a table inside a family restaurant.

"…So, why is the one who invited us here, the last to arrive?" Greenhead Midorima Shintarou impatiently asked. His bandaged left hand was holding a red scarf. Despite the approaching summer, none of his companions commented on its weirdness, having known since middle school that Midorima is obsessed with horoscope and lucky items.

"It's Aka-chin, so it should be okay. What we should be wondering about is why he summoned us." A lazy drone commented, followed by munching of snacks. Purplehead Murasakibara Atsushi was surprisingly fine with waiting, but it should be noted that his snacks always put him into a good mood.

A certain bluehead yawned sleepily. "Tch, if I have known Akashi will be this late, I should not have bothered coming in early. I'm going to sleep, wake me up when he arrives, Tetsu."

"Aomine-kun, you shouldn't sleep here in the first place. It's not like Akashi-kun to be late but I'm sure there is a reason. As to why, we can only know when he comes." Kuroko Tetsuya's attempt at scolding Aomine Daiki fell into deaf ears as his head dived into his arms and carelessly napped without a care for his companions. Kuroko can only scratch his cheek upon hearing Aomine's light snore.

"Mou, how can he fall asleep so quickly? And in that uncomfortable position even! And you guys, stop being so grumpy when we're finally meeting again after so long-ssu!" A blonde whined while flailing his arms dramatically.

"The one who should stop being a drama queen is you, Kise. The last time I checked, it's only been a month since we last saw each other, nano dayo[1]." Midorima snapped at Kise Ryouta, who pouted after hearing the greenhead's snide.

Kise opened his mouth to retort, but the group's attention was diverted to the receptionist's loud welcoming voice to a new customer. The group turned their heads to the entrance and saw a redhead, followed by a bunch of familiar faces.

"Kasamatsu-senpai?!"

"Takao!"

"Kagami-kun."

"Huh? Muro-chin…"

At this point, Aomine raised his head after hearing the commotion. Snapping his eyes open, he saw Akashi Seijuuro looming above him. Looking at his back, he also saw the people behind Akashi whose faces mirror the confusion present in his group's faces. Raising his brows in recognition, Aomine can only smirk in amusement.

"Huh? What is this? Some sort of reunion?"

Akashi ignored him and addressed everyone. "First of all, everyone, take your seats. I shall start explaining the purpose of tonight's gathering."

After everyone has settled down, Akashi peered at his companions. His red eyes are now back to normal after the events of the Winter Cup. The Generation of Miracles turned back to their former selves, and thus created an opportunity for everyone to become friends again. Naturally, rivalry was still present as each of them attend different schools and play for different teams.

Despite the obvious change in the captain's demeanor, no one dared to interrupt his pace or even scold him for being late. Gentle Akashi has no doubt returned, but his aura still commanded respect… and fear, from the people around him.

"Good evening, everyone. I am pleased that all of you could make it tonight."

'_Of course! Because we're dead if we did not show up.' _Everyone seemed to have the same thoughts of horror, knowing how Akashi is when his orders are disobeyed.

"I am aware that my invitation for a gathering such as this is so sudden, hence the confusion and wonder in your faces."

'_Please cut to the chase, and tell us the reason already.' _Same thoughts from everyone again that nobody dared to voice out.

Akashi cleared his throat and continued. "Last week, I received a letter from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It says that I am offered a position in the national basketball team."

Contrary to Akashi's deadpan expression and calm voice, several people's jaw dropped at this statement. Aomine stood up and was on the verge of turning the table while Kagami spilled the drink he was holding. Murasakibara dropped his snacks, Midorima almost choked Takao with his lucky item and Kasamatsu stopped in the middle of punching Kise. Only Himuro and Kuroko remained with impassive reactions. No high school student makes it to the national team! To say that they were not jealous was an utter lie.

"Now, I did not call you all here to only brag about it. In that invitation was a privilege to choose my team members who will compete in the upcoming Junior Asian Basketball League[2]."

Kasamatsu's eyes widened in realization. Akashi smiled, pleased that one of them caught up on the matter quickly.

"S-so… y-you mean… _us… _e-everyone here…?" Kasamatsu stuttered in disbelief. Glancing at everyone whose faces slowly perked up in realization, Kasamatsu cannot help but feel hopeful and excited. Only Akashi's confirmation was needed.

"Yes, Kasamatsu-san. As expected, you are quick on the uptake. Naturally, everyone present tonight is my ideal choice as team members. However, the decision to accept is entirely up to you," Akashi concluded.

To hear of a possibility of making it to the national team, everyone stared in disbelief. It seemed that time stopped, for nobody could utter a single word. An uncomfortable silence followed.

…

…

…

The first to recover was Aomine, who knocked down his chair as he strode to where Akashi was seated. The glint in his eyes showed pure happiness and his lips curved into a genuine smile.

"What are you saying Akashi? Nobody in their sane mind would reject your invitation! Of course I'm in!" Aomine exclaimed enthusiastically. He never thought that he'd make it to the national team this early, considering he planned to apply after finishing his studies in university. His mind wandered to thoughts about possible rivals and challenges he would meet, that he cannot contain his excitement.

Hearing this, everyone came out of their daze and voiced their agreement. The sworn brothers, Kagami Taiga and Himuro Tatsuya were both thrilled to be in the same team.

"We're team mates now huh, Tatsuya! Brings back memories from when we were in America!" Kagami faced Himuro with a grin on his face, while also earning a slap to his back from the latter.

"My, my. We have to put aside our rivalry for the time being, then."

"Regarding that, I fully agree. Since we come from different teams, rivalry should be expected. However, this point onwards, we must put it aside and start working as a team." Akashi interjected, addressing everyone.

Takao Kazunari had his arms in his stomach, trying to stifle his laughter. "That's Akashi-san for you Shin-chan! It's like another way of saying, set aside your tsundere-ness and act lovey-dovey with everyone." Takao playfully nudged Midorima who nearly spit fire upon hearing his friend.

"Go to hell!"

"Oh? I know that's your expression of affection, Shin-chan."

"Shut up and die."

Across the table, Kise was crying tears of joy at the thought of playing once again with his beloved senpai[3].

"Senpaiii~! I'm really glad to be team mates with you again! I've been missing you so much; I can hardly sleep at night-ssu!"

Kise was in the midst of hugging his senpai when a vein popped out of Kasamatsu Yukio's head, seeing how his kouhai[3] was being so clingy and dramatic once again.

'_And I thought I am done with this. Some things will never really just change.' _For Kasamatsu, it seemed like he has to endure Kise's drama queen episodes if he is going to play for the national team.

At their side is Murasakibara who was indifferently munching on his snacks. He was quick to get over on the excitement earlier and resumed eating while ignoring everyone's antics.

"Ehhh… Practicing is a drag, but since Aka-chin said so, and Muro-chin is joining, I will also accept."

Akashi nodded and turned to the giant. "I am glad that you are joining, Atsushi. However, unfortunately, you have to start getting serious since it is the national team we are talking about."

"Eh? Why is that, Aka-chin? Once the coach sees how good I am, I bet he will not complain with how I play."

Kuroko, who was silently drinking his milk shake turned to Akashi at this point. "Come to think of it, Akashi-kun. You haven't told us yet the details of the league or any information about the coach and other team staff."

"Oh. Regarding that, the Minister did not disclose any information about the team's personnel. But it said that we should be meeting at the Ariake Coliseum next week. I believe the arrangements will be discussed until then."

"Oh? So soon? Man, I won't be able to keep still until next week." Kagami excitedly pumped his fist in the air.

"Hold your horses, Taiga. Tetsuya, keep an eye on him if you please. Alright, I expect all of your presence next week, and please come on time while you're at it, especially you Daiki."

"Ha?! I came on time today! If you haven't noticed, you're the one who was late."

"Also, I suggest that you both stay in Taiga's apartment since Akita is quite far, Atsushi and Himuro-san."

"You're ignoring me now?"

"_My _apartment is not yours to offer without _my _consent, you-"

"Very well, I have delivered everything important so I will be going first."

Akashi stood up and headed for the exit, all the while, his new team members were left dumbfounded, thinking that absolute Akashi is absolute.

* * *

On another side of Tokyo…

A tall, muscular man with greasy black hair was standing in front of a train station. He was dressed in a black suit, and was carrying a suitcase. Noticeable on his left thumb is a golden ring with red stone. It seemed that he was waiting for someone as he kept on glancing at his gold wristwatch. After a few more minutes, a black Audi pulled up in front of him. Immediately, he opened the door on the front passenger side and once inside, scolded his companions.

"What took you so long, morons?!"

"Sorry, aniki[4], there was an accident around the last block. We had to find a road without police inspection." The person at the back explained while wearing an apologetic grin.

"Now, now, Mamba, cool your head down a bit. We have delivered the letter as you instructed. The only left thing to do is to wait for their action… or silence." The person on the driver's side spoke this time. His brown eyes were focused on the road but the mischief in his tone was evident.

"Do you think they will act though? We have not heard from them for three years."

Mamba snickered. "I'm sure they will. They are not the kind to back down from obvious threats. Now Lancehead, I want you to focus on this Aomine brat and report his movements to me. No unnecessary actions, understood?"

Like Mamba, the person on the driver's side called Lancehead, was wearing a black suit, his golden ring with green stone glittered from his right index finger. Lancehead nodded to Mamba before addressing the person at the back.

"Copperhead, you heard that, huh? You better keep your ass in check and wait for my command before you do something stupid."

"But he looked like he was really bored out of his mind! I just wanted to scare him a bit."

Mamba, who was minding his own business, snapped his head sideward when he heard Copperhead.

"What is that idiot talking about?"

"Oh… Just this morning, after receiving the brat's file, we went to his school to check on him. To our luck, he was exiting the grounds. You know how Copperhead gets excited when a target is on sight and completely unguarded so the idiot over there completely forgot to restrain himself and shoot the light post when the kid walked beneath it."

"But it was really fun to see the look on his face, you know! He was scared shitless!" Copperhead seemed to remember and doubled over, laughing to himself.

"But you were really disappointed when he dodged the falling post and cement. Mamba, the kid's got nice reflexes. He's much more than what he looks like. Although thinking about it, he's an athlete. And a weak target is no fun."

"Are you a fool?!" Mamba turned towards Copperhead.

"Mamba, that's an established fact. Get over it."

"You do realize that we have to wait for a response from those freaks first, you incompetent fool!"

Copperhead grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, his brown hair getting tousled in the process. A golden ring with yellow stone can be seen on his right middle finger. With fake tears in his gray eyes, he can only apologize to the two people in front of him.

"Gomen[5], gomen! I'll be careful from now on. Don't drop me from this job, ne, Mamba aniki?"

"You better be! Lancehead, restrain your idiot of a brother before our plan is ruined."

"As you wish, Mamba."

* * *

1\. No particular meaning but it's our Midorima's habit when speaking

2\. It's a fictional tournament. I was watching an international volleyball competition with imposed age bracket under 23 years so I thought there might be something similar with basketball competitions but there is none, so I just made that up :P

3\. A senior-junior relationship

4\. Big or older brother

5\. Sorry

* * *

A/N:

Hello, hello, lovely people! First chapter is here!

I posted the prologue last time, and realized I did not include any welcome message or some sort of greetings for you guys. I also don't know how to edit chapters since I'm new to the site, that's why I tried to post the first chapter as early as possible to make up for that ^^

Shout out to Lock on Lockon and Anon101! Thank you guys for your kind words! It's my first time writing a story, so now I understand why the writers feel so happy and giddy whenever people compliment their works. It's the same for me now, haha, I'm really glad this is turning out better than I expected, although I also feel nervous that I might not meet everyone's expectations.

The first chapter is quite short and sorry if it's a little boring but I want to lay out what's happening to the boys first before I introduce the OCs. Now, I won't follow the events in the manga, as you know, Jabberwock arc should be next after the Winter Cup. This will be some sort of AU but I will do my best to keep the boys in character.

Again, thank you everyone for the support. And happy reading!

With love,

Elevenmiles


	3. Chapter 2: The Spiderweb of Fate

Kusanagi Junzo was born in Osaka forty two years ago. Many people have always mistaken him for an Indian national, possibly because of his brown skin, dark hair, sharp nose, and eyes larger than those of typical Japanese; although, he did not have a drop of Indian blood in him. He started working as a Junior Security Consultant in the National Security Intelligence Agency[1] when he was twenty five years old. A decade later, he was promoted to become the chief of the Federal Agency of Tactical Espionage[2].

The FATE, as he called it, was a considerable small organization within the NSIA whose primary responsibility was to deal with issues concerning national security, through espionage missions. The agency took orders exclusively from the Police Commissioner-General and NSIA Director-General, being the only individuals outside of the FATE to know of its existence. The FATE personnel consisted of the Chief himself, his secretary, a medical team comprised of a doctor and a nurse, a training supervisor, and a spotter. The spotter or talent catcher was responsible for the recruitment of the main force of the agency. The main force was comprised of girls aged thirteen and older, and was divided into two factions, namely, the _Trainee_ group and the _Professional_ group. Upon entering the organization, a girl undergoes intensive training in hand to hand combat and usage of firearms and weaponry. Her cognitive abilities are also tested and a clandestine services training has to be completed in order to become a candidate for a spot in the professional group.

When a spot in the professional group becomes vacant, a candidate undergoes a test mission supervised by a FATE agent. Once accomplished, a trainee becomes a full-fledged FATE agent. Depending on the agent's abilities and area of expertise, she would be placed in one of the professional group's four smaller units, consisting of ten members each.

The Support Unit was composed of members who worked on _personal protection_. This included bodyguard services to diplomats, politicians, and other VIPs. The members often excelled in disguise, multiple languages, and had enhanced navigational and driving skills.

The Data Research and Intelligence Unit consisted of agents who dealt with _cyber investigations_. These members specialized in data gathering and logistics. Over the years, the emergence of terrorism required the unit to get started with _Drug and Poison Research_, and _Weapons Development and Modification_.

The Operations Unit branch out to two groups: the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Threat Elimination Unit. Agents of the Criminal Investigation Unit carried out _reconnaissance missions, interrogations _and are extremely proficient in lie detection.

The Threat Elimination Unit was where the skilled fighters are placed. The agents carried out _counterterrorism missions_ relating to drug and human trafficking, arms smuggling, and other threats to national security. FATE agents were required to work in team when completing a mission, however, the Threat Elimination Unit agents were the only ones given the authority to work alone or in a team.

* * *

Today's morning news was filled with its usual content – political news, traffic advisory, resolved kidnapping case, weather bulletin, train schedule advisory, arrested drug syndicate leader…

Kusanagi's attention perked up at this. '_Hold on, this name's familiar. Where have I heard this before?'_

"_Wanted drug syndicate leader Tooru Nobunaga was found unconscious in front of the Tokyo Police Department this morning, with a sign hanging from his neck saying 'Please arrest me.' Found near the body are files and photos documenting his drug dealings. Police Commissioner-General-"_

A click was heard and the television was turned off. _'Of course. How could I forget?' _Sighing, Kusanagi picked up his phone and dialed to his secretary. Once the person on the other line answered, Kusanagi curtly said, "Please have Takishima report to me, ASAP," and abruptly hung up.

Takishima Rumiko was probably the most complicated agent the FATE has ever worked with. In the three years that Kusanagi worked with Takishima, the chief had been an audience to the young agent's growth, both as a FATE agent and a normal teenage girl. Takishima was popular among her peers in the agency, not because she was initially friendly, but mostly because of the respect she commanded from her countless successful missions. She was far from being out-going and would not hesitate to give a person the cold shoulder when they don't interest her. She was a mystery to many, and did not like to talk about herself. The only people to receive emotional response from her were probably her father, and her friends in the agency.

Aside from Takishima's lack of emotional involvement towards many things, the way she stood out like a sore thumb was a rare case in the agency. Her straight, red hair fell down just below her knees. Despite its warm color, her scarlet eyes had that forever cold and sharp gaze. In contrast to her pale skin were tattoos of an infinity sign on both of her wrists. On some days that she wore a tank top, a tattoo of a bow and arrow can be seen just below her right shoulder blade.

Despite all the quirks and complications, Kusanagi cannot doubt that Takishima was his best agent. She has proven her worth to the agency through missions involving infiltration. However, Takishima would not be Takishima if she was not giving Kusanagi a few problems to sort out, and today's topic of discussion was no exception.

* * *

Not long after the phone call, a person unceremoniously entered the office and in came a girl dressed in a black V-neck shirt, black skinny jeans, and black combat boots. A gray back pack hung from her left shoulder while her right hand clutched a clipboard. Her scarlet eyes held no emotions; nevertheless, an awkward smile can be seen in her face.

"Please sit down."

"Hi Chief. Here's my report." The girl pushed the clipboard towards Kusanagi before sitting down.

"You always take pleasure in giving me headaches, Takishima. I should have known this is what you would do." Kusanagi rubbed his temples while Takishima crossed her legs, propped her left elbow on the desk, and rested her chin on her left hand. The girl just shrugged her shoulders, not a hint of apology can be seen in her face.

"You know very well how we operate in secrecy, and yet you had the audacity to turn that syndicate leader to the police! Have you seen the television? Your masterpiece is all over the news!"

"Yes, I'm very much aware of that Chief. But I'm sure the Commissioner-General can think of a cover-up for that. You're pals, right? I doubt he'll be mad at us anyway, after all, we did the hard work and the credit goes to him."

"That's not the point, Takishima, but every single one of your missions turns out like this. You're my best agent but I can't have you disobeying the protocol every time."

"Chief, who cares about the protocol? People like him do not deserve an easy way out by dying. They need to own up to their sins and live the rest of their lives miserably."

"Your sense of justice is clearly different, alright."

"If you're done talking, then I'm leaving." The girl sighed, and motioned to stand up, but the chief prevented her from doing so.

"What is it?"

"I have another mission for you."

"Enlighten me."

"This came in three days ago." The chief pushed a paper attached with a photo towards Takishima.

Takishima raised an eyebrow upon scanning the contents of the paper. "This is a joke, right? What's a high school student got to do with us?"

The chief snorted at the redhead's reaction. "You're a high school student yourself, Takishima."

"I know, Chief. You don't have to point that out. Thank you very much."

The chief sighed and leaned back on his chair, clearly starting to get annoyed with how the conversation was going. "Remind me to stock up on patience the next time I summon you."

"When did you become so sensitive? What I'm trying to say is that this piece of crap can't be serious. This guy is only in high school. Are you even sure it's for us? Nobody knows of our existence save for the higher-ups of course. How did it get here in the first place?"

"That's exactly why it's serious. Only a handful of people should know of our existence, yet that so called piece of crap still reached us. How so? That's what I want you to find out."

"Are you kidding me? Isn't Hotaru-ya more suited for this job?"

"No. I think it is best that you deal with this." The girl only deadpanned at this so the chief continued. "Our guy, Aomine, has been drafted for the national team. And guess who the coach will be."

"Just say it." Takishima dryly responded.

"You're no fun. Your dad will be the coach!" The chief raised both of his hands like he won some kind of competition, and at the same time grinned like an idiot. "What I want you to do is convince your father to let you become the assistant or manager or let you tag along in practices so you can have access to be with the team. Then you can find out for yourself if the threat to him is serious or not."

It took a minute or two before Takishima processed what her chief said. Slowly, her face contorted into a look of horror. Clearly, she heard it wrong. Everything in that statement was wrong, the idea screamed stupid and ridiculous.

"First of all, how is my father connected to this? He is not a coach; he's a sports analyst for crying out loud!" The old man on the other side of the desk was taken aback by Takishima's outburst. It was the first time he saw the girl react strongly to a mission detail. He was used to the redhead taking in everything related to a mission with her usual poker face, acting like a robot that has been programmed to only follow the mission's directives. The Takishima he was facing today was clearly agitated because of her father's involvement in the mission, and Kusanagi wondered why he never noticed that detail about the young agent until now.

"Well, I have no idea… the Ministry decided on that matter." The chief cannot help but tread carefully with his words. He could handle an aloof and rude Takishima, but an angry one, he thought was unbearable. "But that makes it easier for you to get started on the mission, right?" The old man prepared himself for another round of outburst from the young girl.

"Don't get me started on that ridiculous idea, Chief. I'm a secret agent; I do infiltration missions, not a measly school role play. You said I was the best for this job, but it's only because my father is already into this." For some reason, the girl was calmer than before, but a hint of irritation at the fact that her chief was being insincere can be heard in her tone.

"Of course not! I just think there's something more to this that's why I chose you for this mission."

"Geez. You're exploiting the fact that I trust you and your instincts."

The chief barked with laughter. "Really, how can you tear people up between being annoyed and flattered at the same time?"

"Chief you're not being serious."

"I'm just trying to diffuse the tension… But I'm serious Takishima, you're the best to handle this case."

"Whatever. I'll take on this job because I would also like to keep an eye on my father. But I get to choose the girls who'll be working with me."

"Suit yourself. When did I restrict you on that matter?"

"Then it's a deal, I guess. Jaa, matane[3]." Takishima grabbed the letter with Aomine's photo and headed for the door.

Takishima may have a habit of ignoring the FATE's protocol but it is not in her nature to slack off in missions. She goes through to the end of every case assigned to her, despite turning in results different from what was expected of her. Takishima's sense of justice may be different, but her attitude in carrying out a mission is nevertheless the same to her comrades in the agency.

* * *

The chief, who was left alone in the office, twirled a pen on his fingers. On his desk, photos of athletes who have gone missing or got into accidents were lined accordingly. A gnawing feeling in his chest told him that this is not a simple prank that should be taken lightly. Questions plagued his mind ever since receiving Aomine's photo three days ago.

'_Who sent it? How did they know where to send it? Why did this case only reached them now? Was it even related to the previous ones?'_

The series of cases involving the athletes started three years ago. Like any other news, it was a sensation at first. But the police always reached the same conclusion, that these cases were accidents and no foul play was involved. Cases concerning the missing were left abandoned after running out of leads to continue the investigation. Eventually, public interest died down and they were soon forgotten. No case has been heard for almost a year, and now that a new one has sprung up, the matter was directly delivered to them. No matter how the chief thought about it, it seemed that some people are out there to challenge them.

The chief threw a glance at a photo frame on one of his drawers. In the photo was a young lady with silver hair flowing in the direction of the wind. Her brown eyes looked lively, as if she was not a mere photograph. The girl was smiling widely, her yellow sundress also swayed with her hair. It seemed like she was skipping when the photo was taken. Her aura exuded a carefree feeling, but every time the chief looked at this particular photo, an overwhelming sadness filled him.

Chief Kusanagi Junzo was a man who prided himself for having good instincts. His agents trusted and respected him because of this. However, for the first time, he wished his instincts were wrong. There was no way to recall a mission once it has been assigned, so Chief Kusanagi was left with no choice but to believe in Takishima, while also silently wishing for her to be safe. He can only now wish that history would not repeat itself.

* * *

1\. NSIA is not a legitimate agency, but I got the idea from Japan's Public Security Intelligence Agency. I just changed the Public to National in this story.

2\. FATE is purely fictional. No such agency exists and I did not base it on a real life organization.

3\. Then, see you.

* * *

A/N:

Hi guys! How is everyone? I decided to post the second chapter earlier because I will be busy in the next few days. Anyway, I have introduced my first OC, and there are more to come in the next few chapters. A piece of trivia, I got my inspiration for her hair from Naruto's mom, Uzumaki Kushina, so if you're wondering how my OC's hair looks like, go search for Kushina wink wink

Also, the description above about FATE's training system and units are not entirely legit, the training system is purely made-up while the units are inspired from the research I did on secret agent career directions. Now, those mentions and descriptions are purely for fictional purposes only, and I do not intend to connect them to any specific, real person or organization.

Another shout out to Anon101, who I've been chatting with this past few days :D Thank you for leaving a review, and to answer your question, yes, my OCs are girls and you will meet them soon. Takishima is just the first one of the group :P

Thank you everyone for the support! And happy reading!

With love,

Elevenmiles


	4. Chapter 3: Mobilization

A black and red Harley-Davidson pulled up next to a curb. Before getting off, Takishima checked her back pack, making sure that her gun was hidden within her spare clothes. She walked to a nearby public bath and changed to her school uniform. She will have to pay someone again to look after her motorcycle. '_Why is transforming from a secret agent to a regular high school student and back so troublesome?' _Keeping a secret to her father was also a pain in the ass. However, it was necessary if she wanted to keep him away from the dangers of her job. To her consolation, her father does not stay in one place for more than a week. His job as a sports analyst required him to travel a lot, both locally and internationally. Thinking about it, it was also probably the reason how she could keep up being a secret agent for the last three years.

Takishima frowned when she remembered the problem at hand. Fortunately, her father made no fuss when she called to tell him that she wanted to tag along as assistant coach for the team. However, she was having second thoughts now about working on a mission that involved him. First, she was worried about his safety. '_If it was serious, and Aomine-ya was being targeted, then I can't let the old man near him.' _Second, she was not sure if she could perform her job well without arousing suspicion from her father. '_I wonder if I could ask the Chief to do something about it.'_

She decided the matter could wait and fished out her phone. She would rather attend to issues that can be addressed at the present than mope about things that are yet uncertain.

* * *

From: Takishima  
Subject: Drop whatever you are doing.  
Message: Meeting at D-10. Now.

One of the perks of being a secret agent was having access to an apartment complex owned by the agency. Each agent is given a unit that can be used when instances deem necessary, such as a hiding place in the middle of a mission. In rare cases, a unit could also serve as a resting place to nurse an injury or living quarters for those who have no families. On more occasions, it is a meeting place for private discussions about a mission. The apartment complex is hidden in a residential area in Tokyo, on a pretext of being a dormitory for girls. The complex has four buildings with ten floors each, and is accessible to the FATE agents exclusively, which required the agents' fingerprints as passes.

At the same time, three girls received Takishima's message and hurriedly went to the appointed place. All of them have seen the news that morning, and were aware of Takishima's return from her three-week mission with the drug syndicate. However, her summon to meet at the apartment was a surprise for the girls. It could only mean one thing, but Takishima rarely worked with a team on her missions.

* * *

The first to arrive was a skinny girl with wavy, platinum blonde hair in a messy pixie cut. The tips of her hair reached her shoulders and stick out in different directions. Her bangs framed her face, and were kept in place by two hairclips, the colors of which reflect the color of her eyes. She had an anxious expression until her yellow orange gaze landed on the lone figure in the room. The newcomer ran to Takishima and enveloped her in a hug, relief flooding her face. Takishima lifted her arms to return the hug but the blonde stepped back and inspected every part of her friend's body for injuries.

"Stop whatever you're doing, Hotaru-ya."

"Iyada[1]. What if you're hurt somewhere and just refuse to admit it? I was worried, just so you know, everyone was worried! You went off alone without any team mates or back-up, and then… and then we did not hear from you for three weeks! Of course I know you're strong and reliable and all that, but what if something went wrong beyond your control, nobody was there to help you, and we would not know it and-"

Takishima smiled faintly at the female who was in her mother hen mode. Her childhood friend, Shirasaki Hotaru had always been the sweet one, openly showing concern every time her friend came back from a mission. Three years ago, both of them became full-fledged FATE agents. While Takishima was exceptional in combat and was placed in the Threat Elimination Unit, Shirasaki showed promise in her cognitive abilities and was placed in the Data Research and Intelligence Unit. Because both of them were in opposite units, Shirasaki made Takishima promise that she would always return safe and unscathed from every single one of her missions. Although the redhead tried to keep that promise, naturally, unexpected incidents could happen.

One time, while away on a mission, the criminal organization that Takishima was investigating for counts of extortion and illegal business learned of her identity before she could find a concrete evidence to prove their criminal activities. Since she was alone and had no back-up, Takishima was placed in the custody of the organization and was tortured for information about her employer. The criminal group had no idea that Takishima's phone had an installed shock detector that would activate when the phone was thrown or dropped carelessly. An alert would be sent to Shirasaki and a status confirmation would then be sent to Takishima in return. That particular confirmation which Takishima failed to answer made her friend suspect that something was wrong and a back-up was sent immediately to rescue her. The criminal group was apprehended in the end, and while Takishima's injuries took a month to heal, her childhood friend's nagging and constant fuss about that particular incident seemed to prove that forever does exist.

"-an… Miko-chan! Are you listening?" Shirasaki waved her hand back and forth in front of Takishima's face. "Why are you spacing out? Aki-chan and Eri-chan are already here."

At the mention of the two girls' names, Takishima snapped back to the present. The next moment, she found herself being squeezed to death by a girl with straight, auburn hair in pixie cut. Unlike Shirasaki, the newcomer had a much shorter hair, only reaching down to her ears and the back of her neck, and was styled neatly with white head band to keep her bangs out of her face. Her light pink eyes glistened with tears as she continued to hug Takishima, or more specifically, as she continued to suffocate the poor redhead who was now slumped on the floor.

"Rumikoooo~! I'm still mad at you for turning me down in your last mission! But I really really really really missed you so so so so much and I'm glad you're back and that you're-"

The auburn-haired girl did not finish whatever she was saying because she was unceremoniously pulled by Shirasaki away from Takishima.

"Aki-chan, Miko-chan came back safe from her mission but she's going to die of suffocation because of you!" Shirasaki huffed and stood in between Takishima and the clingy newcomer, hoping to shield her from further attacks.

"Stingy Shirasaki! Rumiko is my friend too, I can hug her whenever I like."

"Hotaru-ya, you should have been used to Akira-ya by now. And Akira-ya, nice to see you too." Takishima merely commented before standing up and turning to the other newcomer in the room, leaving the other two to continue their bickering.

"Sup, Takishima." A black-haired girl in mid-back length saluted and winked her pinkish-brown eyes.

"Oh? What happened to the pink highlights Eri-ya?" Takishima was pointing to the other girl's hair, remembering that the latter used to have pink highlights which were now replaced by purple ones.

"Just wanted a bit of change… Anyway, why are we here? It's rare for you to call, especially Matsumoto and me." The black-haired girl pointed to herself and the girl arguing with Shirasaki.

The auburn-haired, Matsumoto Akira, and the black-haired, Ikehara Eri are both part of the Support Unit. For Takishima who participated in infiltration missions, asking for help from people who specialized in personal protection was the last thing on her list. Naturally, this confused the two girls as well.

"For starters…" Takishima glanced at Shirasaki and Matsumoto and shook her head. "Stop bickering you two." That simple order from the redhead shut the two girls up. Meekly, they settled down and said their apologies to each other.

"Alright, I'll be straight to the point. I'm enlisting you three for my next mission." As though expecting it, Takishima raised a pillow across her chest to shield her from something. Sure enough, Matsumoto's deadly hug attacked her a few seconds later. Automatically, Shirasaki came to the rescue and pulled them apart.

"Why are you so clingy Aki-chan?" Shirasaki towered over Matsumoto and flicked her forehead.

"And why are you so possessive, you stingy Shirasaki!"

While Takishima was nonchalant about everything, Ikehara was starting to get impatient. "Can. You. Two. Stop. Acting. Like. Spoiled. Brats." Ikehara stood up and hit the two bickering girls with a pillow for every word she said. "You two make it sound like you're fighting over a boy's attention, which is really annoying."

"That was unnecessary Eri-ya. I am definitely straight." Takishima's tone was harmless but the cold eyes that glared at Ikehara, followed by the two girls who stuck their tongue out at her made the poor girl raise her hands in resignation.

"Alright, I give up. But can we now get back to business please?"

Takishima obliged and pulled a folded photo from her skirt's pocket. "Anyone recognizes him?" At the sight of Aomine's photo, the three girls all shook their heads. "He's a basketball player, and part of the group called Generation of Miracles-"

"Now that you've mentioned it, I saw it on the news the other day… But it only said that his team's participating in an international tournament, so what's wrong with him?" Shirasaki piped in.

"This is what's wrong with him." Takishima placed another piece of paper on the table.

"Save him or let him die from the coils of a snake…" Matsumoto read the contents and rubbed her chin. "For a threatening message, I say, this is rather cheesy, makes me want to not take it seriously."

"I know right, but the Chief won't hear any of it. At the least, he wants me to know how it ended up in the agency in the first place."

"So what's your plan, Takishima? I mean there's also the possibility that this guy's in real danger." Ikehara inspected Aomine's photo and smiled inwardly. She was starting to like where this discussion was leading.

"There are only two scenarios. Number one, if this turns out to be a frivolous case, I would have to drop you both out of this one." The redhead pointed to Matsumoto and Ikehara who both grimaced at the prospect of quitting a mission. "But, if this turns out to be serious, aside from tracing this letter's origin, we will probably add personal protection services to this job, in which both of you are experienced."

Truthfully, Matsumoto did not care about the mission, as long as she got to work with Takishima. Meanwhile, Ikehara, as selfish as it may sound, was praying for the threat to be legitimate. She was getting tired of guarding VIPs and she felt that guarding an athlete who's also of her age was the long-awaited change she always wanted.

"On the other hand, Hotaru-ya, whatever this case may be, we're going to investigate how this letter reached us. Listen carefully, on Saturday, at the Ariake Coliseum, my Dad is going to meet the entire team. Obviously, we have to be there; that would be a perfect time to scout for anything out of ordinary. I have my father's permission to tag along as assistant so you three can act as managers… You know the protocol. We can't reveal our identities as agents, so be careful and stick to your roles."

The four continued their discussion until it was time for Matsumoto and Ikehara to leave. Meanwhile, Shirasaki stayed behind to confront her best friend. Throughout the meeting, she noticed the distant look in the redhead's eyes. It wasn't unusual but she thought the reason has something to do with the present mission.

"You're hiding things, even from me?"

Takishima who was inspecting the handwriting on the letter ignored her friend. She knew Shirasaki would notice but truthfully, she wished her blonde friend would not probe any further. Her mind was preoccupied and an interrogation would not help to ease her aching head. "You're overthinking things," was what she simply said.

"Honestly, I can't believe you accepted this. I thought you hate easy missions like this. Of course, I can't dismiss the fact that Ojisan[2] is involved here, but usually, you'll just manipulate things to work your way."

"Like?" Takishima glanced up from her desk and cocked an eyebrow to her friend.

"I don't know, maybe divert Ojisan's attention somewhere so he'll quit being coach, then you'll have no more reason to work on this case."

"Well, yes, I'm thinking about doing that. But no, I won't quit from a mission I have already started working on."

"More like you believe the Chief when he said there's something more to this."

"Can't blame me, the old man's instincts were always spot on."

Shirasaki just sighed. She knew Takishima would not budge when she has decided to work on something. It was also not helping that her friend was a hard shell to crack. She felt frustrated that even though she knew so much about her childhood friend, the one thing she could never decipher was what Takishima was thinking.

"So what's your idea? You're highly perceptive yourself, Miko-chan."

Takishima stopped working and seemingly contemplated whether to respond or not. In the end, "A while ago, I was preoccupied with the issue of my father so I did not think about everything carefully… But anyway, I just thought we wouldn't have to look far for the source of this letter."

Shirasaki was puzzled. Sure she was intelligent and can always come up with strategies, but that was because she was aided with complete data. She was itching to ask further but the finality in her friend's tone prevented her from doing so.

* * *

1\. I don't want to.

2\. Uncle

* * *

A/N:

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, and honestly, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. It felt so short, and I only got to introduce the other OCs. I apologize for that. I was originally planning to include the first part of the team's training and meeting with the girls but I decided to just move it to the next chapter to avoid untimely cuts. The story pace is still slow, but please bear with me for the time being. I'm in the middle of making you guys get familiar with my OCs and the story setting. I promise things will get into action after the first meeting which will happen next chapter.

Shout out to my lovely reviewers, Lock on Lockon and bookaholoicanimeholic, thank you so much for that wonderful and sweet and motivating review. I'm happy that you're enjoying the story so far. Thank you so much for the constant support! Virtual hug to the both of you! :P

Everyone who has read, followed, and favorited, thank you for the support! Happy reading!

With love,

Elevenmiles


	5. Chapter 4: The First Warning

"Are you sure it's better to not wear disguises?" Ikehara rummaged inside her bag and pulled out a hand mirror, inspecting her face and hair. Her purple highlights were in contrast with the neon pink shirt she was wearing. She was in front of the Ariake Coliseum, and seemed to be arguing with Matsumoto and Shirasaki.

"Baka[1], if we wear disguises, Rumiko's father is going to be suspicious. It's because of him that we can't assume fake identities either so quit whining." Matsumoto herself was checking out her hair and was wearing a dark blue shirt while Shirasaki, who ignored them, was wearing a yellow one. All three girls were wearing shorts and sneakers.

"Ne, I wonder where Miko-chan is." Shirasaki craned her neck to see if a redhead was in sight.

"She's probably inside with her father, considering it is fifteen minutes past the appointed time." Ikehara moved to the entrance while the other two reluctantly followed.

* * *

"Takishima-san, nice to meet you!" The three girls froze at the sight, ten players bowed to the man in front, but Rumiko was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh there you are! Are[2]? Where's Rumiko?" Shirasaki and the others did not have a chance to back away and think of an excuse for Rumiko. Takishima Atsui has noticed them, and consequently, the entire team turned their heads towards the three girls. Ikehara nudged Shirasaki to become the trio's spokesperson.

"Uh, Miko-chan… well, she is… she had, um… she had a sudden errand to attend to…" Shirasaki grinned sheepishly to the bewildered Atsui. She herself wanted to know where the hell her friend is.

"Eh? But she said she'll meet you girls and go with you."

Thankfully, Matsumoto came to Shirasaki's rescue. "Ahaha… yes, Takishima-san, we saw her this morning. However, she said she had to meet someone first, so she's running late."

"I see. Well, anyway, you three should introduce yourselves to the team." Atsui motioned the girls to come forward.

Stepping closer, the trio could not help but feel conscious and intimidated from the team's stare. They definitely did not consider this scenario. They were so busy studying the team's data to prepare for their managing roles that they forgot to rehearse what to do and say in the actual meeting. Moreover, Rumiko, who they expected to handle things smoothly, was not there to help them. This time, it was Matsumoto who nudged Shirasaki to start the introduction.

"O-ohayou[3]. Watashi wa[4] Shirasaki Hotaru desu. I will be the manager. Nice to meet you." Shirasaki bowed and immediately stepped backwards. Her yellow orange eyes searched for Aomine. Strangely, the boy was staring right back at her. She blinked to confirm but his gaze was already into Matsumoto who stepped forward.

"Ohayou! Matsumoto Akira desu. I will be the assistant manager. I'm looking forward to working with you all!" Matsumoto also bowed, and when she looked up, she noticed the guy with black hair and silvery-blue eyes smile at her. She remembered from the files given by Takishima that this guy was Takao. '_Eh? They're not as arrogant as the rumors say…'_

"Konnichiwa[5]. Ikehara Eri desu. I will be the assistant manager starting today, nice to meet you all." She caught sight of Himuro after bowing, but was distracted when Kise screamed after getting kicked by Aomine. '_Hmm, this is the new national team? Not bad.'_

Not that the boys were against girls managing and assisting the team, but they just did not expect it that way. Since it is the national team, everyone thought that they would be working with professionals. They had no choice but to accept what was in front of them. Most of the team did not have any particular concerns, just as long as the girls perform their jobs well. However, a certain blonde was worried about his senpai, knowing his extreme shyness towards the opposite gender. In fact, Kasamatsu was contemplating right now whether to quit right there and then since he had no intention of letting the others know that he couldn't handle girls well. '_Why three anyway… we're not even a big team.' _And he was sure that there was another one to come later, judging from their conversation. Akashi did not mind honestly, but he was curious as to how and why the Ministry decided on this. Midorima acted indifferent but he wanted to know these girls' signs so he can check, no, not their compatibility, but whether he should be wary of them or not. Getting to know whether they would bring good or bad luck was a precaution necessary for the horoscope-obsessed player.

"Very well, the introductions are over. I would just like to assess everyone's skills for today. Of course, I have heard all about you, but nothing beats seeing you play in person. You'll be playing five on five but go do the warm-ups first. I will announce the teams later." Atsui blew the whistle and everyone proceeded to run laps around the court. The girls went to the sidelines while Atsui entertained a phone call.

One hour later, after running fifty laps, doing fifty push-ups and fifty sit-ups, and shooting for fifteen minutes, the boys were ready for the practice match. Atsui was announcing the teams when Rumiko finally showed up. Instinctively, both Shirasaki and Matsumoto started to run towards her, but both were held up by Ikehara. Rumiko nodded to the black-haired girl for the unsolicited help before marching off towards her grinning father.

"Rumiko, where have you been?"

"I met with a classmate who needed to copy my notes."

"I thought you were eager for this."

'_Who would be eager to pretend to be friendly to a bunch of basketball nerds?'_

"Rumiko, are you listening?"

"Sure… huh? What?" Atsui clicked his tongue in annoyance at his carefree daughter. He wasn't sure now if he can leave the team in her care.

"I was planning to leave later but since you're here, please take over the practice for now. I was summoned by the Ministry, you see." Atsui handed Rumiko the clipboard and some keys before saying goodbye to the team. "I'm counting on you, Rumiko."

She blinked at the sudden responsibility. She was expecting to just sit and observe during the entire training without interacting with the boys. However, she signed up for this, so there's no turning back.

"Well? What are they doing before I came?" Takishima asked the girls who just grinned at her. They obviously wanted her to ask the boys directly.

"The head coach was announcing the teams for our five on five match. You could start from there." It was Akashi who spoke for the group. Oddly, he could not read the girl in front of him. For some weird reason, she did not seem the least bit affected by his piercing stare or anyone else's for that matter. She looked like she did not want to be there in the first place, but her scarlet eyes that stared back, or more like, scrutinized the whole team, said otherwise.

"Then in that case, the first group, stand to my left; the second, to my right." Takishima proceeded to call off names from her father's clipboard. Akashi, Kagami, Midorima, Murasakibara and Takao were grouped together. The second group was formed by Kasamatsu, Aomine, Himuro, Kise and Kuroko. "I'm giving you five minutes to strategize. Long Socks-ya and Chibi-ya[6], take charge for your respective teams."

Long Socks-ya? Chibi-ya? Everyone froze at the mention of this. It was not difficult to know who Takishima was referring to. Kasamatsu stood unblinking. A girl just directly addressed him, and it was not helping that she called him by his innocent socks. His whole face turned beet red because of utter embarrassment. It was the first time that he wished he could evaporate on the spot. While his whole team gathered around him to check on his sanity, the other team was the complete opposite. Kagami, Midorima, Murasakibara and Takao all stepped away from Akashi who was strangely taking the insult calmly. Maybe it was the calm before the storm? The four boys prepared themselves for a quick escape in case Akashi explode like a volcano. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Still nothing happened. Even the other team looked on curiously now.

Slowly, Akashi's lips curved into a smile, amusement written all over his face. The sight of him made everyone's jaw drop to the floor. Kise rubbed his eyes to check if he was seeing things. "Akashi-cchi? It can't be…"

At the other team, Kagami had tears in his eyes from trying to stifle his laughter. "I never thought this day would come. Akashi lost to a girl!"

Akashi now walked calmly to his team. "That is where you are mistaken, Taiga. I did not lose to her. Her guts simply amused me, so I did not let her insult get to me."

"But still, chibi? I can't… even…" Kagami was on the verge of laughing again but Akashi started emitting murderous aura.

"Now, I did let her slide, but that does not mean I am allowing any of you to freely call me that. Do you understand me clearly, Taiga?" Kagami helplessly nodded to Akashi who was literally emitting fire from his whole body.

On the other hand, Midorima was puzzled. '_Did he just make an exception of her? Who is she and what did she do to Akashi?'_

Everyone's stupor was interrupted by Takishima's whistle blow. "Quit dilly-dallying and go strategize so we could start the match!" Hurriedly, everyone started to move towards their respective benches. Enough fooling around, it's time to get serious and step up their game.

* * *

As expected, even though it was just a practice match, the ten players were giving it their all. The first half had five minutes left and Akashi's team was leading by six points. Takishima was the referee and Shirasaki recorded the match and players' statistics. Ikehara was the scorer while Matsumoto took care of the assistance in the bench. She had gone out to refill the boys' water bottles when the game was temporarily stopped during the first half's two minute mark.

"Didn't you know you're team mates? Why are you squabbling over the ball?" Takishima walked into the middle of the court to confront Kagami and Midorima who were at each other's throats. "Chibi-ya, please discipline your team mates."

'_That bloody nickname again?' _Akashi grimaced, realizing she wouldn't stop using her nicknames any time soon.

Takishima sighed before continuing. "You're supposed to play as a team, not show off individually. I hardly see anyone making an effort to assist his team mates, save for Long Socks-ya, Chibi-ya and Phantom-ya."

'_Phantom-ya? Even Kuroko?' _Kagami shuddered at the thought that the female redhead has nicknames for everyone. At the same time, Kuroko and Midorima both elbowed Aomine and Takao to stop them from laughing.

Takishima now turned to Takao. "Birdy-ya, if you were using your Hawk Eye, you should have noticed that Chibi-ya was also free. You could have passed the ball to him instead, and then we could have prevented this senseless argument."

"Birdy-ya?!" Takao had a look of horror in his face and raised both of his hands in protest.

"Yes, I'm referring to you."

"I understand the others' nicknames, but why am I called birdy?"

"Taka."

"Ha?! Taka? Taka is a hawk!"

"And a hawk is a bird."

Takao had enough of it and just looked at Takishima like she had grown two heads. '_How could she say that in a monotonous expression?'_ This girl was impossible to deal with.

Kagami was not able to restrain himself and fell on all fours laughing. He was joined by Aomine who understood the pun a bit later. Even Himuro who always had his poker face was now smiling. Kise's eyes observed Takishima who boringly tilted her head to the side to watch Kagami and Aomine wriggle on the floor. He saw Murasakibara poke Takao in the head and call him Birdy, and they ended up just laughing about it. Midorima, as usual, was unconcerned about everyone else's antics but Kise was sure he saw the greenhead smile faintly at Takishima's direction. Akashi and Kasamatsu both just shook their heads at the turn of events. Strangely, the tension from earlier was gone, and Kise was happy that everyone was now taking the unflattering nicknames lightly.

"Ano…[7]" Kuroko walked up to Takishima and hesitated for a while, unsure of what to call her. "Shouldn't we continue the match?"

"Right. Of course, Phantom-ya." Takishima smiled lightly at Kuroko before blowing her whistle to gather everyone's attention once again.

The practice match resumed and the obvious change in everyone was evident. Kagami and Midorima started assisting each other through screens when either was marked by Himuro or Kise. Aomine and Himuro also started to coordinate to get past Murasakibara's defense. Kasamatsu's team was able to maximize Kuroko's passes and scored points to tie in with Akashi's team at the end of the game.

* * *

"She's perfect as an assistant manager, isn't she? I mean, she doesn't even need to act." Ikehara stood at a distance with Takishima, and observed Matsumoto who attentively handed the boys some towels, energy drinks and water, depending on what they need.

"Yes, she's doing well. But I saw you earlier look at your notes to check whether Mole-ya's shot was counted as two or three."

'_And who the hell is Mole-ya? Himuro?'_ Ikehara sheepishly scratched her head in response. "Ehehe, gomen ne. You're fine because you like basketball and know background information beforehand. What about us? I can't believe you made us memorize volumes of player data and basketball rules in just three days. Look at my eye bags…" She pouted sadly to dodge Takishima's earlier remark. '_Man, she sure is strict.'_

"It's necessary… or the boys will get suspicious if we don't know what we're doing."

"That aside, where is Shirasaki?"

"She probably went to look for them."

"Huh…?" A look of understanding dawned on Ikehara. "Don't tell me…"

Sure enough, the two saw Shirasaki walking towards the court with mops in her hands.

"She's holding two more… No way that those are for us." Ikehara started to back away.

"Yes way. C'mon, we can't escape her anyway. You know how she is when it comes to cleanliness." Takishima then dragged Ikehara to the smiling Shirasaki albeit reluctantly.

Kise was fixing his things when he saw the three girls jog side by side across the court to mop the floor. "You girls sure are energetic-ssu."

"Oh that, well, Shirasaki's a neat freak. Rumiko and Ikehara were just probably coerced to help." Matsumoto stopped folding the towels and grinned at the direction of her friends.

"Excuse me, Matsumoto-san, do we also have training tomorrow?"

"Eh? Wha- Kuroko?! How long have you been here?"

"I was fixing my things here the whole time, Matsumoto-san."

"Eeeh?! I'm sorry! I didn't notice you!"

At the side, Himuro's visible eye was fixed on the two, feeling that something was out of place. Beside him, Kise also seemed to be deep in thought. The blonde pursed his lips and tried to remember a scene in his mind.

"I'm really sorry, Kuroko. Regarding your question, you probably have training tomorrow. But we need confirmation from Rumiko's father first."

Aomine, who was also listening, did a double take at the redhead on the court. "Seriously? That midget's father is the head coach?"

"She was late so you were not informed properly, but yes, she's the coach's daughter." Matsumoto explained and then called Takishima's attention. "I think you're forgetting something, Rumiko."

"Ah, of course. We totally skipped the introductions. Takishima Rumiko desu, assistant coach."

'_Waa, she did not even bother to bow. That's Miko-chan for you.' _Shirasaki was feeling awkward and embarrassed for her friend but the team did not seem to mind the rude gesture. They were busy trying to piece together the image of Takishima Atsui and his daughter; after all, the two did not look alike in the slightest.

"Kuroko was asking if they have training tomorrow, by the way."

"Yes, Phantom-ya, you have training tomorrow, same time, same place. Although, can you bring your pink-haired girlfriend as well? Her help would be very much appreciated."

"Momoi-san is not my girlfriend, but I will ask her to come tomorrow."

Way to make things awkward, but Takishima just shrugged it off and made sure that everyone was paying attention before dismissing the team.

The ten boys hurriedly went to the locker rooms to freshen themselves up while the three girls bombarded Takishima with questions as to why she was late.

"Not here. We'll talk in private later. Regardless, I have to leave to check on Dad." Takishima handed some keys to Shirasaki and prepared to leave. "Hotaru-ya, these are the keys to the lodgings the Ministry provided for the team. Here's the address, I believe it's just a block or two away from our own apartment. I have checked the place yesterday and it's well secured but we'll discuss that in detail later. Also, I'm sorry for the short notice but I ordered food delivery for the boys. I got to go so take care of everything. Don't forget what I told you. See you later then." Takishima walked away before the other three could object. Shirasaki wasn't sure but she sensed urgency in her friend's voice. '_See you later then, Miko-chan. And stay safe.'_

Minutes later, the food delivery arrived and Matsumoto was preoccupied once again in setting everything up. Shirasaki and Ikehara were talking about the mission when Midorima and Takao approached them.

"Just in time. C'mon, dig in! Where are the others?" Matsumoto ushered the two to the table and served them food. The others soon followed and everyone started eating.

"Akira, I don't see Rumiko anywhere."

"Gomen ne Akashi. She said she had to meet up with her Dad so she left earlier."

"She comes and goes whenever she wants, huh?" Kagami commented but the look of irritation in Shirasaki did not escape his eyes, so he decided to shut up.

"So how are you girls related?" It was an innocent question from Akashi but the three girls froze up. Again, they did not talk about this. Ikehara pretended that she did not hear Akashi and lightly nudged Shirasaki to do the talking.

"Miko-chan and I, we are childhood friends. And then, we're schoolmates with Aki-chan and Eri-chan here." Shirasaki knew that it was not a good idea to lie, but she just couldn't say that she met these girls while training for the FATE, could she?

"Oh? Then I guess you all play basketball, since you know so much about the game." The girls cursed Takao inwardly for inquiring. Were they supposed to say yes? What if the boys ask them to play? Totally not a good idea. It would just cause suspicion.

"Um, no. Miko-chan's the only one who can play. We just like to watch."

"That's no good! It's more fun to play than just watch!"

"Kagami-kun, you're scaring them with your over enthusiasm."

"Yeah right, you're really so simple-minded."

"Ha?! Why do you both always gang up on me?"

"Taiga, Tetsuya, and Daiki, you are disturbing everyone else. Leave your bickering for later." Akashi then turned his attention to the girls. They were peculiarly tensed up now that Takishima was not with them, and he wanted to find out why. "It seems we will be working together from now on. You have our data but we do not know anything about you. I believe it is just right that proper introductions are made. I am sure the others would like to know as well."

The girls realized that there's no escaping this predicament. If they did not talk, they were bound to attract suspicion. Shirasaki was about to talk but Midorima beat her to it.

"Not that I'm concerned or anything but what are your signs?"

"Typical tsun-tsun Shin-chan."

"Shut up Takao! …Well? What is it?"

"Huh?" Shirasaki tilted her head to the side to remember Midorima's data. Looking at him right now, with his bandaged hand holding a manga, she finally thought of lucky item. '_Right, it's this Oha-Asa-obsessed guy.'_

"I'm a Gemini… and…" She paused for a moment trying to think of what to say.

'"_It's bad enough that we could not fake our identities. Remember, do not reveal too much about yourselves, or they will become your liability in the future."'_

Shirasaki remembered what the ever-strict Takishima repeatedly stressed to them for the last three days. '_What do I even say in times like these?'_

"That's all? What about your interests or hobbies-ssu?" Kise urged much to the annoyance of the blonde female.

"I'm not really into playing physically-demanding sports, but I like to play chess and other board games. Um, I also like cleaning. And my favorite food is Beef Teriyaki."

"Board games? You could play shogi with Akashi-cchi some time-ssu!"

"Baka! Why are you more excited than them?" For some reason, although Kasamatsu still couldn't look at the girls directly, he was no longer shaking when he was near them. It would definitely take some more time before he gets used to this arrangement. Poor senpai.

"I'm sure Aka-chan is a busy person, though." Shirasaki just grinned awkwardly. She felt it earlier, but she was sure of it now. They should be wary of Akashi.

"Aka-chan?" Akashi blinked.

"Huh? I mean Akashi-chan!" The redhead captain blinked again. "I'm sorry! I meant Akashi-san! Aki-chan, it's now your turn!" Shirasaki mentally face palmed herself for being too informal. It was enough that Takishima already gave them weird nicknames earlier. Meanwhile, Matsumoto just awkwardly cleared her throat since everybody's attention was now onto her.

"Hi. I'm a Capricorn and I usually spend my free time baking. So you can say that I like pastries, and I also prefer tea than any other drinks."

Murasakibara's slight pause in eating did not escape Himuro's observant eyes. '_For once, someone caught his attention other than food? This is definitely worth watching out for.'_

Matsumoto's wide smile was replaced by a frown when she heard Aomine snort. "What was that for?"

"Tch so sensitive. I just didn't expect you're into girly stuff that's all."

"Just because my hair's short does not mean I'm not girly enough."

"Yeah, you're a girl alright. Only girls are that sensitive."

"And only boys are that judgmental."

Ikehara just face palmed herself. Leave it to Matsumoto to bicker with anyone over anything. "Don't mind her Aomine, Matsumoto really just over reacts sometimes."

"Yah! Ikehara you traitor, I'm your friend!"

"Mmm, but I can't eat in peace right now because of you."

"Ne, Eri-chan, you have to say something about yourself first before you can eat in peace, though." Shirasaki stated matter-of-factly before turning to the others to shot them an apologetic grin.

"Oops, sorry about that. Well, I'm a Pisces. I like surfing and beach volleyball."

"You're pretty athletic too, Ikehara-chan. It's a shame you only watch basketball."

"I'm more comfortable in the water, it seems." Ikehara flashed back a smile to Takao who was proving to be the most approachable and friendly among the team. The girls unfortunately did not know if this was good news or bad news.

'"_They're a bunch who only thinks about basketball. I doubt they'll initiate small talks and make friends with us."  
_

"_What if that's not the case, Shirasaki?"  
_

"_Minimal chance, Eri-chan. It's more important that we pull off our roles first to avoid suspicion."  
_

"_If you say so. You're the strategist so we'll go along with you."  
_

"_Besides, Miko-chan is going to be with us. She's the one experienced in undercover missions so she'll know what to do."'_

That was the plan, but the variables that Shirasaki did not calculate was Takishima's absence for the most part of the training, and the boys' apparent inquisitiveness which was the opposite of what Shirasaki believed in. She furrowed her eyebrows in irritation. There they went and chattered about themselves that would seem like they were on an organized acquaintance party. The girls were relieved that the boys were all not that hard to deal with, but they were starting to find this conversation alarming. At this rate, they were doing exactly what Takishima advised them not to. However, the world was not a wish-granting factory, and the boys won't stop asking questions just because the girls don't want to.

"What about Takishima-chan?"

"Eh?" Shirasaki blinked owlishly towards Himuro who flashed his trademark half-smile. Did she hear correctly? Was she caught zoning out? "Miko-chan?"

"You're her childhood friend, right? So you know so much, if not everything, about her."

"I do Himuro-chan, but I guess it's proper if she herself told you about it. She isn't really fond of people talking about her affairs without her consent."

"Even if it's you?"

"She makes no exemptions." Shirasaki caught a glimpse of disappointment on the boy's fair features but it was quickly masked by his poker face once again.

"Man, she really is something. How did you even manage to befriend her kind?" Kagami was being his usual tactless self again, but this time, Shirasaki did not let it slide easily.

"She really left a bad impression on you?"

"U-uh, that's not… that's not what I m-meant…" Kagami hurriedly waved both of his arms across his chest in an effort to take back what he said.

"I won't argue, Miko-chan can really be a bit rude and handful at times, but she's altogether not bad. We wouldn't be friends with her in the first place if she was. Compared to us, she will probably take the most time before she warms up to you, she's not exactly friendly, you see. But I assure you, she won't do a mediocre job as an assistant coach, if that's what you're worried about."

"N-no… I did not…" Kuroko just sighed and elbowed Kagami. Apparently, Kise was also mistaken when he thought only his senpai needed help with the girls. "Geez, forget I even said anything." Thanks to Kagami, the warm atmosphere earlier dropped several degrees lower. Shirasaki excused herself and stood up.

"Gomen ne, Shirasaki's usually level-headed. She only gets riled up like that when it comes to Rumiko. But she's not really mad, probably irritated, but not enough to hate you."

"Don't worry about it, Matsumoto-san. It's this Bakagami-cchi who said too much-ssu."

"Oi, Kise shut up!"

"You should apologize, Taiga. You clearly went overboard."

"Wha- Tatsuya? Even you?!" Everyone stared accusingly at Kagami that made him even more flustered than he was. "This is too much; you're all doing this on purpose!" Kagami was in the middle of pouncing on a snickering Aomine when Shirasaki returned. He was contemplating whether to say sorry or not, but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry I lashed out earlier. Miko-chan won't exactly mind what other people think about her, but then I do, more so since she's not here to defend herself. And you might meet someone else like her who is more unforgiving so just… just be careful next time."

"I-I'm s-sorry-"

"Let's just forget it alright?" Shirasaki smiled sincerely this time, prompting Kagami to relax. "Himuro-chan, Murasakibara-chan, you live in Akita right?"

"Mmm."

"Yes, what's the matter?"

"Miko-chan said the Ministry provided lodgings since the practices are held here. Naturally, the offer is up for everyone, even to those who live in Tokyo. You can stay there since travelling is quite troublesome especially if you're tired from practice."

"We can sleep there tonight?"

"Yes. Murasakibara-chan thinks it's a good idea?"

"Mmm, I don't like to sleep in Kaga-chin's apartment anymore."

"It's not like I want you to stay in my apartment either!" One look at Kagami told Shirasaki that the tall athlete was already miffed that everyone seemed to gang up on him today.

"So that settles it then? Himuro-chan, Murasakibara-chan, you're staying at the lodgings tonight. What about you Kise-chan, Kasamatsu-chan? Anyone else?"

"W-well, I suppose that c-could w-work…" Kise shook his head at his senpai's shyness. Way to go for someone so intimidating at the court.

"Everyone will stay at the lodgings tonight."

"Akashi, half of us lives in Tokyo."

"I am aware of that Shintarou. This is just to make sure that everyone attends the practice on time. Daiki has tendencies to over sleep, after all." An irk mark was clearly visible in Midorima's head but like everyone else, he couldn't do anything once Akashi has decided on something.

"Here's the address then, Akashi-san. It's just a twenty-minute bus ride from here. The apartment itself is close to the train station so it's convenient when you go back to your respective homes after the practice tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot to hand you the keys."

"Very well, thank you for your assistance to the team."

"It's no big deal, really. We're just doing our job." Ikehara and Matsumoto nodded in agreement, both glad that the interrogations were over for now.

* * *

Takishima was sipping her second cup of coffee when the man sitting at the table adjacent to hers finally stood up to leave. The man was lanky, and had a nervous look in his face. The café's door swung close when Takishima decided to follow him, her sharp gaze never leaving the sports bag in his hand.

'_Well this isn't good. He's heading to the station, no chance of confrontation when that happens.'_

Takishima increased her pace until she was a step behind the lanky man. "Ne, excuse me, Ojisan."

The man was startled by the sudden approach but nevertheless faced the girl behind him. "What is it kid?"

"I was just wondering if you know where the Tennis Forest Park is. I'm from Hokkaido so I'm not familiar with the places here.

The man's face visibly relaxed upon hearing that the girl was just asking for directions. "Let's see, just go down this road until you reach the intersection, then turn-"

"Sorry Ojisan, I'm not really good at memorizing details like that. Can you just accompany me there? I'm sorry for being such a bother, but I really have a poor sense of direction. I've been wandering around for hours now, but I can't still find my way." Takishima's meek voice broke the man's resolve and he agreed to accompany her despite having a schedule to follow.

"Girls like you shouldn't have been on your own in the first place. Where are your parents?"

"My parents are both on a business trip here, and left me by myself."

"Parents these days…" The man sighed and glanced at the girl walking beside him. She looked happier, probably because of the fact that she was not lost anymore. In fact, a slight smile can be seen in her face, and her brown bob swayed with her as she walked. "One more turn and we'll be there… What's your name again, kid?"

Instead of answering, Takishima flashed him a smile and removed her glasses. "Ne, Ojisan… you're aware that not many people go to this park at this hour, right?"

"What do you mean?" The man stepped back. He was starting to get bewildered.

"What I meant was no one is going to hear you even if you shout for help." She proceeded in tugging the hairclip securing her hair, finally loosening the brown wig she was wearing and revealing a long, red hair.

The man's eyes widened in realization. He started to run away but Takishima crouched down and swung her right leg to kick the running man's feet, effectively making him tumble to the ground.

"I won't hurt you, but you have to answer every question I'll ask. Truthfully." She then dragged the man to the park's secluded corner and tied his hands.

"Who are you really? What are you going to do to me?" The man was terrified out of his wits. Who would have thought that the meek girl earlier was in fact the redhead he was watching a while ago?

"That's none of your concern. Shut up, I'll be the one asking questions." Takishima's cold gaze was enough for the man to shut up. "Who are you working for?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Takishima's patience was running out. She unbuttoned her cardigan and showed the man her gun's handle. "I-I d-don't know their n-names, I swear. Don't kill me please!"

'_So this man's a pawn, eh?'_

The man saw that Takishima was distracted for a second so he tried to shift in his position in an attempt to stand. He has so much as moved his knees when Takishima pinned him face down to the ground and kneed his nape.

"You should have noticed by now how impatient I can become. Don't try me old man."

"Okay, I will cooperate! Just, just spare me please!"

"How did you know them?"

"Please let me sit properly, at least. I promise I won't try anything funny."

"You're in no position to demand old man." Takishima obliged anyway and lifted the man from the ground. "Answer me now."

"I just met them yesterday, really. That man with brown hair and gray eyes approached me and asked me if I could watch you guys for them."

"What about this morning when you talked to them?"

"They just handed me a disposable camera and a round chip, then I was supposed to meet them later as well."

"To return the camera I presume? What about the chip?"

"Yes, but I'm here with you instead. They told me to place it inside the dark-skinned guy's bag."

'_Hm, tracking device? Why? That's not entirely successful in case Aomine-ya decides to use another bag. And the use of this man and those vague instructions… fishy.'_

"Please let me go, I already cooperated with you."

"I'm not letting you go until you give me the chip and the camera."

"How did you know I still have the chip?"

"I was watching you the entire time, I know you weren't able to sneak close to my players, let alone slip the chip in his bag."

"Don't do this. I have to return the camera to them at the very least." The man pleadingly looked at Takishima but she was unfazed.

"Nope. Why would I let you return the camera to them? You were clearly spying on my team. How about I report you to the police instead? What you did was illegal old man."

"Please anything but that. I'll give the camera to you, you want it right?"

Takishima smirked. When it comes to bargaining, nobody wins to her. "Old man, I suggest you resign from your job and take your family to the countryside. I bet those guys won't like it if you did not return the camera."

"You mean those guys will…" Takishima untied the man and was putting the camera inside her bag when it happened.

He fell on the ground, blood pooling under his head.

* * *

1\. Stupid or idiot

2\. Generally means "huh?!"

3\. Good morning

4\. I am

5\. Hello

6\. Short or midget

7\. Umm

* * *

A/N:

Hi everyone! How are you doing? I'm sorry for the delay. I was busy these past few days. Quite a long chapter to make up for it :D I'm sorry if I bullied Kagami too much. I don't hate him okay?

Shout out to my reviewer Anon101! I hope you're okay with the long wait. Thank you for the continued support! As always, you make me happy with your review :3

UPDATE: You can check out my OCs' short profiles on my profile bio.

To my readers and to those who followed and favorited, thank you so much for the support! Happy reading!

With love,

Elevenmiles


	6. Chapter 5: Part of the Mission

"Either this personal locator is faulty or you don't know how to use it. Why would Takishima be in Kanagawa?"

Matsumoto's lips twitched in annoyance at Ikehara's implied insult. "Well I'm sorry but Morino left earlier for a mission, so suck it up and trust me on this one."

"Like I said, why would she end up in Kanagawa? Kise and Kasamatsu are both in Tokyo right now."

"Don't be absurd Ikehara. She obviously did not go there for those two, right Shirasaki?"

"Yeah."

"And she's probably just busy that's why she's not picking up our calls."

"Mmm."

"Are you really alright, Shirasaki?"

"Yes."

"Ikehara just jumped outside from this floor. She's probably dead."

"Sure."

"Oi, earth to Shirasaki! You did not listen to every word I said, did you?"

"Huh…? Aki-chan? Who… where… huh? What?"

"I can't even get annoyed when you give me that look." Matsumoto sat beside Shirasaki and ruffled her blonde hair.

Ikehara understood the distressed look on Shirasaki's face. After all, it has been four hours since they parted ways with the team in Ariake Coliseum, but they still have not heard from Takishima who left earlier than everybody. "I'm sure she's not in trouble. Have some faith, woman."

"But that news… The victim was a maintenance staff in the coliseum. That's no coincidence, Eri-chan. Miko-chan… Miko-chan lied to us when she said she was going to check on her father-"

"And that food delivery was a way to stall our leave from the coliseum. I know, we've been discussing that for the last two hours." Ikehara dryly finished, prompting Shirasaki to shot an irritated glance at the other girl's nonchalance.

"Don't you get it? We're supposed to work as a team but Miko-chan went off alone this time without even telling us."

"Now Shirasaki, you're letting impatience get the best of you. Rumiko probably wanted us to stick to the boys in case anything should happen. And you of all people should understand why she would want to work alone." Matsumoto intervened and signaled Ikehara to leave for a while, which she obliged without second thought. At times like these, it was impossible to reason with Shirasaki, something which she did not have patience on.

* * *

'"_Waaa, beautiful…"_

"_I'm glad you like it here, Rumiko."_

"_Mmm! The leaves are as beautiful as Mama's hair!"_

"_Ah? Is that so? Then Rumiko's hair is also as beautiful as the leaves."_

"_Really? When I get older, I will grow my hair as long as yours Mama, so it's more beautiful!"_

"_But that will catch all the boys' attention, Papa and Mama will get sad."_

"_That won't happen! I only love Papa, Mama and of course Hotaru-ya!"_

"_Next year, we'll make sure they come watch the foliage with us, alright?"_

"_Mmm!"'_

Takishima was jolted awake when the train came to a halt. She was heading home from a futile attempt to catch the gunman who killed the guy she was interrogating earlier. The trail led her to Kanagawa, where the victim's family resided, but she found the house already burned down and the family was nowhere to be seen.

She remembered her dream, and unconsciously, her hand touched the silver ring hanging from her necklace. She could still vividly recall the actual memory when she went with her mother to watch the autumn foliage in Kyourinbou Garden in Shiga. Just like in her dream, her father was not able to come with them because of work. Even then, he was always busy, and would only come home during important holidays. Now that he was given an opportunity to stay longer, her mission just had to ruin everything.

That morning, when she confirmed that the threat was serious, she asked Chief Kusanagi to arrange a possible work for her father outside the country. It was one of the rare times that she was amazed at the FATE's connections since her father was immediately asked to fill in the vacancy in the Summer Youth Olympic Games Committee in China. Takishima did not know whether to be relieved that her Dad was now out of this mess, or to be frustrated that she would have to assume the head coach position from now on.

The signal of the train slowing down to stop at the last station made Takishima snap out of her reverie. She checked her phone for the time but grimaced when she saw 34 missed calls and sixteen messages from Shirasaki and Matsumoto. She got to do a lot of explaining later, for sure.

* * *

"Let me get this straight, you did not kill that man earlier, but you were with him when he was shot."

"Preposterous Akira-ya. You know that I don't point my gun to just anybody." Takishima was finally seated with her friends in her apartment living room after much fuss and rib-cracking squeezes from both Shirasaki and Matsumoto. Unfortunately, she found that finishing her dinner was an impossible task to do due to the girls' unrelenting questions.

"Why were you with him in the first place? Why didn't you tell us? Is that why you were late in the practice? Did you learn why Aomine-chan was being targeted?"

"You could definitely pass as an agent in the Criminal Investigation Unit. You're almost as good as Yuri-ya when it comes to interrogation… I don't know about you Hotaru-ya, but I'm still hungry, so let me eat first, then you can come ask me later."

"Don't stray off the topic, Miko-chan! I'm being serious here."

"More like you're being impatient."

"Miko-chan…"

"Alright, if you say so. But first…" Takishima fished out her phone and scrolled through the pictures before handing it to Shirasaki. "Run that photo in our database; see if those two match anybody in our records."

"I'll try, but I don't think a side profile would do much. So, why are they under your radar?"

"I saw them lurking near the coliseum this morning. Before the team arrived, that victim Ojisan approached them. It turned out they handed him a camera and a tracking device for Ahomine-ya. They left after they saw you arrive, though. After that, I went inside to check the whole place for anything suspicious."

"Did you find any?"

"No, apart from that Ojisan hiding in the spectators' seats to record the training. I'm actually surprised Birdy-ya was not able to spot him at all."

"Hang on. Record the training?" Matsumoto furrowed her eyebrows and snatched the phone from Shirasaki. "I understand the tracking device, but spying on a team is something only a rival would do."

"I know where you're getting at. But nobody would kill an innocent man for a petty rivalry. That Ojisan was shot by a sniper, and his family's probably been taken down too. We're dealing with cold-blooded bastards here." Takishima looked at each of the girls straight in the eye to search for any hint of fear or hesitation but she found eagerness and determination instead.

Regardless, Shirasaki was still miffed that her friend decided to act without telling them beforehand. She did not want to be kept out of the loop any longer, and even more disapprove of Takishima's reckless actions. "All the more reason that you should not go off on your own again, Miko-chan. We're supposed to work as a team."

"And to work as a team means each of us has a role to fulfill. You're in charge of analyzing the clues we'll find along the way Hotaru-ya. On the other hand, Akira-ya, Eri-ya, you're responsible for Ahomine-ya's protection-"

"Then we'll leave you alone to handle the enemy? You're asking for the impossible. We can fight as well. We were trained before, in case you're forgetting."

"That's not happening. It's already bad enough that I dragged you all into this."

Ikehara planned to stay quiet during the whole meeting but Shirasaki's proposition appealed to her. "What do you take us for, Takishima? We're FATE agents like you! We know what we signed up for!"

"You don't understand… This is the whole purpose of dividing us into different units. We're supposed to work on what we're best at. For years, you've been guarding individuals, analyzing data and I've been directly engaging the enemies. Why should this mission be any different?"

"Because this time, you have no idea who you're dealing with, Miko-chan."

"That still doesn't change anything."

Shirasaki knew that her friend was right. Apart from only having an additional question to answer, the mission still boiled down to eliminating the threat, and as far as everyone was concerned, Takishima was the best at it. In any case, Shirasaki will always feel worried about her childhood friend. "I just want you to be careful Miko-chan. Don't forget your promise, alright?"

"You are the ones who should be careful. I'm dropping you all out of this mission if it becomes any more dangerous."

Ikehara looked at Takishima like the latter has spoken in an incomprehensible language. "You can't be serious! You sure talk big for someone who preaches about the importance of teamwork. You wanted us to trust you, but you're the one who can't trust us." Her sentiments were shared by Shirasaki who stood up in protest.

Matsumoto glanced nervously at Takishima but was quite relieved when she saw the redhead sitting still like a rock with her usual blank expression. She did not even bother to clear her throat or twitch a muscle to show any form of response. "Yamete[1] Ikehara, you've said too much. You were already an agent three years ago, right? You should know better than to talk to Rumiko like that."

Ikehara bowed her head in guilt. She was perfectly aware of what Matsumoto was talking about and she did not mean to dismiss it like that. It did not surprise her that the redhead stiffened for a second but quickly reverted to the carefully built mask she always wore.

'"_Onee-chan__[2]__, I hate you!"_

"_You ungrateful bitch! You are no daughter of mine!"_

_In quick strides, a woman dragged a girl by her platinum blonde hair outside the house, all the while shouting orders to the house helpers around._

"_Anyone who will let that ingrate inside the house or anywhere near it will be fired immediately!"'_

Shirasaki shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. '_Why am I remembering that now?' _Her meek voice broke the silence. "I'm aware of Miko-chan's intentions and reasons, but why do I still find it hard to accept them?"

Matsumoto gave her a disapproving look in return. "Don't push it Shirasaki. I know you're worried, but you tend to become irrational when it comes to Rumiko. She knows what she's doing. Trust her."

"I trust Miko-chan, no doubt about that." Shirasaki tilted her head upwards to stop her tears from falling. "But you know Aki-chan, there's a limit as to how much loss a person can take."

"I-I'm sorry. I did not mean to…"

"No, you're not at fault. Don't mind me." She wiped the tears threatening to fall. "I don't know, they just came out all of a sudden. Probably because of relief that Miko-chan is safe or maybe I'm just worried for all of us, mmm, even for Aomine-chan." She let out a small chuckle. "I'm so weird I hate myself…" At this point, she did not bother to stop the tears from falling. "I'm just… I'm just scared… I'm going to lose Miko-chan as well." Shirasaki bit her lip to stop a sob from escaping.

Ikehara stood up to get her something to drink while Matsumoto comforted her. Takishima, who was silent all this time, finally stood up and grabbed a box of tissue. She brushed Shirasaki's hair out of her face, and gently wiped her tears away. "You're not going to lose me, silly."

* * *

Kise buried his face into his pillow to muffle the sound of his alarm. He did not understand why he had to get up early on a Sunday. And why was it so noisy outside? There couldn't have been a visitor at this hour for sure. He sat up in frustration but was disoriented when he noticed that his room was unfamiliar to him. He peeked under the covers to make sure that he was still clothed. '_Okay, that was an idiotic thing to do. I don't even have a girlfriend.' _Suddenly, the door opened and in came an angry Kasamatsu.

"Senpai?! Why are you here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here, you idiot?! Get your ass up and prepare or we'll be late for our training!"

"Training…? Ahhh…? Oh! National team-ssu!"

Kasamatsu sighed. "That pea brain of yours finally remembered!" He was itching to kick the blonde but he did not want to be subjected to nonstop drama early in the morning.

Kise just grinned cheekily and followed his senpai outside. He was greeted by a hysterically laughing Takao, the cause of which was Kuroko's bedhead. Downstairs in the living room, he saw Midorima intently watching Oha Asa, and Aomine dozing off on the floor. As usual, Murasakibara was already munching on his snacks and Akashi was reading a newspaper. In the kitchen, Kagami and Himuro were busy preparing breakfast.

Kise mused that it was not actually a bad idea to stay in the lodgings. Yesterday, he thought that they would be dumped in a sort of room-only dormitory. Along with the others, he was pleasantly surprised to find a three-story fully furnished apartment. Even the food and other supplies were taken care of.

Midorima, who strongly opposed the idea, was not able to protest any further. Apparently, his only concern was a television where he could watch his precious horoscope program. There was even an antique shop near the bus stop if he ever needed a particularly rare lucky item.

The least happy was Aomine who did not bring any of his gravure magazines. Obviously, he could not blame Akashi even if he wanted to, so he contented himself in getting as much sleep before the day's strenuous training.

* * *

Two hours before the practice started, Takishima and the others were already in the coliseum, inspecting every nook of it. The four of them agreed on the final details of the mission, one of which was the constant communication among them. It was actually one of Shirasaki's conditions when she was not able to convince Takishima to let them directly fight the enemy.

"You look hideous…" Matsumoto was holding Takishima at arm's length. They were now done inspecting the venue and were just taking the spare time to rest.

"Fruit of last night's labor."

Matsumoto then noticed Shirasaki's knowing look at the clipboard in her best friend's hand. "Wow. I didn't expect you to sacrifice your first love to really prepare being a coach to the team. How many hours of sleep did you actually get?"

Takishima just shrugged. "This is part of the mission, there's no way I would slack off. More so since this is originally for Dad, wouldn't want to disappoint him, would I?"

"She just indirectly pressured us to do the same, if you two noticed." Ikehara smirked. She knew Takishima was not the type to impose on how much effort her team mates should put on a particular job. Although at times, she would just bluntly point out a mistake, not to criticize, but to give a person a room to improve. Ikehara does not deny that this is one of the reasons why she respects Takishima.

"Miko-pyon! Minna[3]!"

All four heads turned to the direction of the voice. A girl with straight, chestnut brown hair and sapphire blue eyes was running towards them.

"You're late."

"Yuri-chan!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Weren't you away for a mission?"

Morino Yuri's appearance at the coliseum surprised the girls aside from Takishima. She was contacted by Matsumoto the day before but was told that she left for a mission. She has been an agent for only two years but she was already considered the best in the Criminal Investigation Unit. She's typically playful and childish when it came to her friends but similar to Takishima, she liked to work on her missions alone.

Morino raised her hands in half-amusement and half-exasperation. "Relax oh my god! You should have seen your faces, they're priceless! Oh, of course, apart from Miko-pyon." She stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "I'm not late! You're just early Miko-pyon! And you didn't even tell them? Seriously I feel unwelcome right now." She then turned to Shirasaki and hugged her. "Taru-pyon! Hisashiburi[4]!"

"Yah! Why did you hug only Shirasaki?"

"Because she's the only one who greeted me hmp! Aki-pyon, what's your question again?" She snapped her thumb and middle finger in recognition. "Ah! I'm just here to cheer you on." She beamed while Matsumoto made a what-the-heck face. "Kidding! Miko-pyon asked me to help you."

"Weren't you away for another mission?"

"Oh so that's your question Eri-pyon! I didn't quite catch that earlier, gomen. Hmm, not quite. I was indeed on a mission yesterday, but Miko-pyon was the one who sent me."

Ikehara raised an eyebrow at Takishima. "Can you explain what Morino is talking about? It'll take us an eternity if we let her talk about her mission."

"Hidoi[5], Eri-pyon!"

"We want to know the gist of what Takishima asked you to do, not a blow-by-blow account of it."

"She just did what she's best at." Takishima curtly said. She was in no mood to talk since she still felt sleepy despite finishing a cup of coffee.

"Ah, snooping around…"

"Mou Eri-pyon! It's not snooping around! It's called surveillance! And Miko-pyon, I got Sera-pyon to modify the motion sensors I placed in Aomine-pyon's house so make sure to thank her." Morino started to count using her fingers. "I also placed security cameras at the front gate and the path leading to their back yard. Since I'm also feeling generous, I also installed smoke detectors. I was planning to add hearing devices but I thought we'd compromise the family's privacy-"

"I assume his parents were not made aware of the entire situation?"

"Eeeh Miko-pyon, I'm not done recounting everything yet…"

Ikehara then looked at Takishima with an I-told-you-so expression.

"As I was saying, I don't want to compromise their privacy. His parents were aware of the motion sensors, I even instructed them how to use and stop it. They also know the window entry alarm, smoke detectors, water overflow detector-"

"So they were aware of everything."

"Eeeh! You keep on interrupting me Miko-pyon! Of course not, I don't mess up my missions! Even if they knew about the alarms, I borrowed a fake ID from the Support Unit and just pretended I'm from a security firm testing out their products, and that's it. They have no idea about the cameras though, and I can connect you to my server later on if you'd like. The tracker and shock detector are the only ones left to install."

"Okay good job. Don't forget to make a three-way connection to Akira-ya and Eri-ya for the camera's footage as well. And Hotaru-ya said you look ridiculous."

* * *

Akashi and the team were in the hallway to the changing rooms when they heard loud bickering. For a moment, they thought that Kise's fangirls were in the vicinity.

"Oi Satsuki, are girls really that noisy?"

"Don't vent your grumpiness on them Dai-chan!"

Matsumoto stood at the end of the hallway and called them over. "Ohayou minna! Come over to the court first, Rumiko wants to talk to you!"

"Matsumoto-chan! Ohayou!" Takao shouted back. The group jogged to the court, wondering what the redhead had in store for them.

"What's the matter, Rumiko?" Two pairs of scarlet eyes met; one was full of curiosity, the other was empty.

"There will be a few changes in the coaching positions starting today. My father has gone to China which means that I will now be the head coach. Hotaru-ya is the new assistant… and, thank you for coming today, Satsuki-ya, you will be the new manager."

Truthfully, the boys were more surprised at the fact that Momoi was not given a weird nickname. She ran up to the girls and introductions were made.

"Mini Takishima, you have a new friend…" Murasakibara pointed to Morino. The redhead took no offense to being called little, and called Morino to introduce herself.

"Morino Yuri desu. Nice to meet you!"

"You're a manager or something?" Aomine asked.

"No, don't mind me. I just tagged along to watch your training."

"Alright now you know. Let's get a move on, follow me to the control room."

* * *

"Ne, Midorima-pyon, why do you have a hammer with you?"

"It's my lucky item, nano dayo."

"Lucky item…? Oh it's that program I forgot the name ahaha. So what's your sign?"

"Cancer. And it's Oha Asa nano dayo."

"Cancer? Miko-pyon! Miko-pyon!" Morino excitedly jumped in her place. "Your lucky item for today is a hammer! Isn't it funny? It's cute right?"

Himuro smiled. One does not have to be a scientist to understand what that meant. Takishima ignored Morino and instead smiled faintly at the unsuspecting greenhead. "Megane[6]-ya, what are the rankings of Cancer and Taurus today?"

"I will not tolerate you calling me by that name, nano dayo!"

"Eh Shin-chan, you're no fun!"

"Shut up, Takao!"

"Birdy-ya is right, but if that's what you want… What about the answer to my question?"

"Cancer is ranked fourth; Taurus is at the bottom, nano dayo."

"Then now we know why Taurus is ranked last. Yuri-ya, I suggest you make sure that you have your lucky item while you're with me." Morino nodded robotically while Takishima clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention. "Let's get back to business, everyone! A few announcements before we watch yesterday's game. Take your seats."

Takishima sat at the table behind her to let Shirasaki speak with the group. "This is just regarding your team activities for the next few weeks. The Ministry has notified us yesterday that they have already arranged the press conference that will happen next month. Before that, you will have a meeting with the sponsors, and also have a photoshoot for the official photos in the Ministry's website.

"Sponsors?"

"Sorry for not being specific Kagami-chan. I meant sponsors for your shoes and uniforms."

"What about the press conference?"

"It's normal for a national team to be officially introduced to the public."

"And that photoshoot?"

"I told you, it's for the official photos in the Ministry's website. All national athletes are listed there with their profiles and photos."

"I didn't know it's this detailed. I only thought about the training and tournament itself."

"Well that's to be expected. I believe there are other activities since we are the host country for the tournament. You'll be used to it in no time for sure." Shirasaki kindly smiled at Kagami, glad that the antagonism between them was now gone. "Ne, Miko-chan, is this thing final?"

"Which one?"

"About Kise-chan's endorsement…" Kise looked up expectantly at Shirasaki when he heard his name.

"We'll have to confirm with his agency first. Make sure to follow that up."

"What is that about, Takishima-san?"

"Nike will be launching its newest campaign which will coincide with the tournament. They wanted to have the participating athletes to model for them, five from different countries, if I'm not mistaken. You're already a model so I gave the OK for you. But don't get excited yet, Model-ya, like I said, we have to confirm with your agency first."

"That won't be a problem-ssu!" Kise was so happy that he did not even register Takishima's nickname for him.

"You can calm down now, Model-ya. We still have other matters to discuss." Aomine and Kagami both snickered. At the same time, Takishima opened a box filled with folders and CDs, and handed a paper to Shirasaki and Momoi. "That's the list of the participating countries in the tournament. Although it's not complete as of now since the other countries have not finalized their teams yet. It might be too early but I want you to study every player data starting today, especially of the powerhouse Iran, China and South Korea. I borrowed these files from my Dad, but I'm not sure if they would be of help since they are not updated regularly. You can go over them but I want you to research on your own. Our team strategy in every game will rely on your data, I'm counting on you."

The immense workload did not faze Momoi one bit. On the contrary, she was more glad that she could again fulfill her manager duties with her Tetsu-kun in the team. _'This feels like being in middle school again. No… because this time, it won't end with everyone falling apart. That's just a memory now. This time, everyone would stay friends forever.'_

Kuroko observed Momoi conversing with Shirasaki at the corner of the room. They seemed to be sorting the materials and task between them. Despite everything, a warm smile can be seen in Momoi's face. Kuroko knew that he was not the only one to suffer when everyone drifted apart back then, and so, he was genuinely happy to see her smile again without any worries and sadness.

"The tournament is three months away but it's not much, considering we only get to practice during the weekends. We can only start training every day at the start of summer break and by then, I want to focus on your individual skills training and our team strategy. Which means that our weekend practices will consist of basic training and perfecting your team coordination.

"Why do we need basic training? We're not beginners."

"Chibi-ya, I think you know the answer. Please enlighten Ahomine-ya."

"You cheeky-"

"Daiki, do not get too ahead of yourself. We are all still developing. Our stamina and power can still increase along with the improvement of our skills."

"Spot on. Think of that as preparation for your individual training on summer. Banana-ya would be an example. His Perfect Copy-"

"Takishima-san~! I'm already fine with Model, why do you have to call me Banana-ssu?"

"I'm hungry, your hair reminds me of banana."

"Don't provoke him Takishima. We won't get to hear the end of this." Midorima sternly said and pushed up his glasses.

"Oh you have a point. As I was saying, Copycat-ya can keep his Perfect Copy for five minutes, but he can prolong that. He will work on extending his Perfect Copy on summer but before he can do so, his body must be prepared for the additional strain. The basic training's purpose is to increase your stamina, endurance, power, speed and agility until your individual training."

Takishima tilted her head to the side and studied everyone's expressions. Kasamatsu was raptly paying attention but he blushed once Takishima's eyes landed on him. Kuroko was stoic as always while Akashi just sat like the perfect student he is. Everybody else turned away from the redhead's gaze.

"Don't fret about being beginners or not. It does not mean that I'm underestimating you. But be reminded that as talented and skillful as you all are, I won't tolerate slacking off and laziness in my team. I don't care if you're the ace, the former team captain, the best shooter, or the best defensive player, you are first and foremost an athlete, and therefore you should act like one."

* * *

The day's training from hell, as everyone dubbed it, was over. Unexpectedly, Takishima's basic training was not basic at all. Endurance training alone included running up and down from the court to the spectators' seats in multiple laps. They had to chase tennis balls for their agility training and the assistants, a.k.a Matsumoto and Ikehara had fun making the team run and crawl all over the court. The team's favorite drill so far was sprinting sideline to sideline in one minute because they get to compare whose number of laps was the highest.

"Oi Tetsu! Let's eat ice cream on our way to the station!"

"Mine-chin, Muro-chin and I will come along whether you like it or not."

"It's alright, Murasakibara-kun. Everybody can come if you want."

"Tetsu-kun!"

"Kuroko-cchi~!"

They were all preparing to go home until Aomine's idea put everyone into a riot. Aomine, Himuro, Murasakibara and Kuroko together with his fan club were all set in stopping by a convenience store when Kagami suggested that they go to a burger joint instead. Takao agreed and he was in the middle of persuading Midorima to join. The most mature of the group, Kasamatsu and Akashi, however, were just thinking of going home but nobody would hear any of it.

"Stopping by for a heavier meal is more reasonable since we're all travelling home. Kuroko, don't you want your vanilla milk shake?"

At this point, Takishima decided to intervene. "To be honest, I really couldn't care less if you decide to stop by the convenience store or the burger joint or the planet of the apes, but Split Eyebrows-ya, sorry to burst your bubble, nobody is going home yet."

"Ha?!" Kagami could not decide whether to react on his eyebrows first or to clarify what Takishima said.

"Oi Rumiko, what do you mean?"

'_Aomine-cchi is on a first name basis with the coach?'_

'_Why am I surrounded with a bunch of airheads?' _Kasamatsu sighed. "It's the Golden Week, idiots."

"Discounting today, there are still two more days before our classes resume." Akashi followed up matter-of-factly.

"Geez forget it. Let's just eat at the apartment." Kagami said although he doubted if could still move around later. He can already feel his body starting to ache.

"Everyone must be tired so we'll just cook for you in your apartment."

"Seriously? But I thought you only like baking, Matsumoto-chan."

"Takao, if you haven't noticed, the bento[7] earlier was prepared by us."

"I thought it was delivered! Then I have no complaints if you will cook for us!"

Matsumoto knew that Takishima was dying to sleep so the redhead's irritated look at her suggestion did not go unnoticed.

The group left for the bus station led by Akashi. Unlike yesterday, the training went by smoothly, albeit with a bit of bickering between Matsumoto and Aomine over the food. Slowly but surely, Kasamatsu was becoming less nervous around the girls to the relief of Kise. Moreover, Shirasaki with the help of Akashi found a way to limit Murasakibara's snack intake to only during lunch break. Unconsciously, the boys were starting to acknowledge the girls as part of the team.

* * *

1\. Stop

2\. Older sister

3\. Everyone

4\. Long time no see

5\. You're mean

6\. Glasses

7\. Home-packed meal

* * *

A/N:

Hi guys! I'm so sorry for the late update. My student life had been hectic. I hope you're all doing well. :D

Shout out to bookaholoicanimeholic! Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you liked the chapter. I watched the recent episodes of KnB, and you're right, Mayu is cool. I don't know if I'll pity him or be glad for precious Kuroko :P

You can check my OCs' profiles in my bio. I did not update during Shirasaki's birthday but she turned 17 last May 27 ^^

Thank you everyone for the support! Thank you thank you for the follows and favorites. Appreciate them all.

With love,

Elevenmiles


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